Playing ball



March 22# 1927 G. PIERCE PLAYING BALL Filed March s', 192s 'l gawewtoz Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFECE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING & BROS.,

i OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW" JERSEY.

PLAYING BALL.

Application led March 3, 1926. Serial No. 91,888.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of a playing ball of the type in which an inflatable rubber bladder is nclosed in a cover of leather or similar material.

The special object of the invention 1s to provide an improved means for closing the opening through which the bladder is 1nserted. In ordinary practice this opening 1s closed by a raw hide lacing passed through eyelets formed in the cover. Such a lacing is unsightly and forms a rough area on the exterior of the ball, while the closure of the present invention gives a smooth and pleasing nish to the ball.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosedv herein for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that the structure may be modified in various ways without departing from the. true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened and claimed.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a football embodying the invention;

Fi re 2 is a sectional view of part of the ball before inflation;

Fig. 3 is a section through the closure means after inflation; Y

Fig. 4c is a detail of the closure means.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the cover 10 is provided with an elongated opening 11 through which the bladder 12 is inserted. The opening 13, which lies opposite the opening 11 provides means for iniating the ball by means of an inflating stem of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 91,887 filed on March 8, 1926, b y Henry V. Rau and myself. By using this construction the opening 11 is used only for the insertion of a new bladder when needed, and hence this opening can be closed in a semi-permanent manner before the ball is inflated. Closure is effected in the following manner:

Leather flaps 14 and 15 are secured by stitching or otherwise to the cover along each side of opening 11, each Hap having a lip portion 16 extending beyond the edge of the o ening. The extending lips 16 are provide with coinciding apertures 17 adapted to receive a lacing of copper wire, or similar material. After the bladder has been placed in the casing through the opening 11, the lips 16 are brought together and secured with their inner surfaces in contact. In the embodiment disclosed a copper wire 18 is laced through the apertures 17 in the manner indicated in Fig. 4.

The ball is now inflated and as the cover iills out the lips 16 completely fill the opening 11 and the wire lacing 18 becomes invisible. The lips 16 are of such a length that their edges are just flush with the surface of the ball when it is inflated.

It will be obvious that the improved closure can be used on any type of playing ball such as basketball, soccer ball, etc. By eliminating the exposed raw hide lacing and substituting therefor a concealed lacing the ball is given a smooth exterior surface unbroken by projecting lacings or depressed openings, thereby improving the appearance as well as the playing qualities of the ball.

What I claim is:

1. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, and lacing means for closing said opening, said lacing means being substantially concealed when the ball is inflated and the area of said cover about said bladder-insertion opening being imperforate.

2. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, a flap attached to said cover along each side of said opening, said flaps being secured t0- gether with their inner surfaces in contact.

3. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, a flap attached to said cover along each side of said opening, said flaps being laced together with their inner surfaces in contact.

4. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, a flap attached to the inner surface of said cover along each side of said opening, said flaps being secured together with their inner surfaces in contact.

5. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, a flap attached to the inner surface of said cover along each side of said opening, said flaps being laced together with their inner surfaces in contact.

6. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening in said cover for insertion of a bladder, a flap attached to the inner surface of said cover along each side of said opening, said aps being secured together with their inner surfaces in contact, the end surfaces of said fg, -Y i 1,621,239@

flaps being` substantially parallel. with ex: 8..In1a playing1 ball,.aco ver, an opening .16 terior surface of theA ball. in said cover for insertion of aibladler, a 7. In a playing ball, a cover, an opening Hap.. attached to the inner surface of said in.. said @over for, insertion. of. a. bladder7 a.v cover along;y each side of. Said openingi the l Hap attaclied to thel inner. surface of. said flaps beinglacedtogether andbentoutv'varcover along each side of said opening, the ly to substantially fill said opening in the l5 flaps being secured together and bent out @over when the ball is inflated. Wardly to substantially fill said opening in In testimony whereof I affix my signature. the cover when the balli isinflatedi GEORGE L. PIERCE. 

